Le Journal Exhibitions

Art Paris 2017

Playing host to 139 modern and contemporary art galleries, the 19th edition of the Art Paris Art Fair will be held from 30th March to 2nd April 2017 at the Grand Palais.

The fair this year puts African art as part of the theme-based approach that the fair takes in its quest to be open to all forms of artistic expression, including design. This approach places emphasis on the surreptitious discovery that it seeks to encourage, providing an overview of art from the post-war years to the current day.

Monographic exhibitions feature in the Solo Show section, and up-and-coming artists feature in the Promesses (Promises) area, which showcases twelve recently established international galleries that demonstrate great promise in both their approach and selection.

Known for its reputation to explore foreign, rarely presented art scenes, Art Paris Art Fair has paved the way for artists not normally displayed in France, providing a platform for artistic careers to thrive since its conception in 2012.

This year’s fair puts the spotlight on Africa after previous explorations in art from Russia, China, South-East Asia and South Korea, under the leadership of cultural consultant and independent exhibition curator, Marie-Ann Yemsi. Yemsi’s choice of African art as a focus this year highlights a new perspective of African art as a hub contemporary art and its effect as a wide-ranging influencer.

Displayed alongside international galleries, the work gains a deeper context, seeking to be understood in new ways, such as the work of African artist Houston Maludi (exhibited by the gallery A. Magnin) which will be presented next to that of Korean artist J Young (presented by Mo. J Gallery), a permanent exhibitor at Mo. J Gallery in Busan (South Korea). This pairing creates a bridge between the Korean and Congolese artistic scenes, and it is these moments of connection within the fair that seek to cement contemporary African art for interested collectors and enthusiasts alike.

A selection of videos entitled Les Territoires du Corps will be screened at the Grand Palais this year, exploring the work of artists who look at the body as both subject and expression of their message. A new space designed to “encourage free and independent thinking” has also been brought in this year, created by the artist Kader Attia. Titled La Colonie, this space will host a day of conferences and meetings that will bring together key cultural figures who are committed to the promotion of African artists and those working in the creative field.

Along with this, Art Paris Art Fair, in partnership with The Fine Art Collective, is launching the L’art est vivant prize that will honour an artist whose work is presented at Promises. A collective of passionate enthusiasts and collectors, L’art est vivant seeks to find motivation in cultural actions that serve the general interest, i.e. developing awareness of budding artists or those who are in the process of achieving artistic recognition, and supporting creative expression.

With all this in mind, Art Paris Art Fair looks set to be packed full of inspiration and discovery with Yemsi’s creative vision being cast on the progressive contemporary art of Africa, and has already gained a lot of excitement worldwide.

Galleries included this year include ADN Galería (Barcelona), Galeria Alvaro Alcazar Madrid (Madrid), Montoro 12 (Rome), Guy Pieters Gallery (Knokke-Heist) and Flatland Gallery (Amsterdam), not forgetting 13 galleries from different parts of France such as Cédric Bacqueville from Lille, D.X Galerie from Bordeaux and J.P. Ritsch-Fisch from Strasbourg. Newcomers from Paris include Philippe Gravier (with Sou Fujimoto’s solo show), Sobering, Perpitch & Bringand and In camera, joining contemporary galleries that are regulars at the fair such as Galerie Lahumière, Nathalie Obadia, Daniel Templon, Paris-Beijing and Rabouan Moussion. There is also a stronger contingent of modern art galleries with the participation of Frans Jacob (Amsterdam), Michel Descours (Lyon), Martin du Louvre (Paris), Galerie Bert (Paris), as well as the return of Die Galerie (Frankfurt).